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The Fife Coastal Path runs around the coastline of eastern Scotland for 117 miles (187 km) from Kincardine on the Forth to Newburgh on the Tay. Starting west of the magnificent Forth bridges, the route heads through former mining towns towards the villages of Fife’s East Neuk (corner), with their rich tradition of smuggling and fishing. After rounding Fife Ness, the route follows the coastline north-west through St Andrews, former religious centre of Scotland and golf capital of the world.

Fife has long played an important part in Scottish history and the route passes many castles, towers and churches. There are splendid views along the coast and over the Firths of Forth and Tay, with great chances to sight seabirds, seals and dolphins. The villages have welcoming pubs, famous fish-and-chip shops and good B&Bs. Transport by train and bus makes for easy access throughout.

In 2018 we revised text and mapping to cover route changes near the Queensferry Crossing and approaching Ravenscraig Castle (Kirkcaldy).

Features

The guidebook contains everything you need to plan and enjoy the Fife Coastal Path – on foot, or on a bike where cycling is appropriate:

detailed directions for each section (walked anticlockwise from Kincardine)

Reviewed by the independent website Walk Fife

Home > Books > Great Britain > Fife Coastal Path > Reviews Reviews of Fife Coastal Path
The reviews below refer to "Fife Coastal Path" published by Rucksack Readers. To find out more about this book, click on its cover or Look inside its pages or visit its Gallery. Reviewed by the independent website Walk Fife
A description of each segment of the stage is broken down into clearly written and easy to follow bullet points along with interesting snippets about the towns/villages that you will pass through on your journey. Again the photography used throughout is excellent and even includes the often forgotten Rosyth Castle which I personally was happy to see included ... The maps are clear and simple and are each displayed at a very readable 1:45000 scale. The maps are marked up well and are ideal for the beginner ... The authors, Jacquetta Megarry and Sandra Bardwell have produced an excellent guide to the Fife Coastal Path. Their style of writing makes the content very easy to follow even for those new to walking which is good to see as it makes the route more accessible to many people wanting to explore the Kingdom of Fife. A must read for those looking to take on the challenge of the Fife Coastal Path.

Read the full review with photos here

Extract from review by Bob Smith of Grough

This guide to the route around the coast of the Kingdom of Fife is comprehensive and well researched and its format should allow anyone tackling the long-distance walk to pack only the book to help them find their way. ... Flora and fauna along the way are detailed, and each day’s recommended walking has a chapter, with maps, photos and detailed route descriptions. The guide is well researched, with plenty of facts to enhance a walker’s experience of the route, and it pulls no punches when describing the less scenic sections of the Fife Coastal Path. Fife Coastal Path is a handy self-contained guide to this interesting route, and is nicely illustrated with photographs throughout and is easy to follow. The maps are detailed enough for walkers undertaking the route to be able to dispense with a separate map. This guide will suffice.

Read the full review here

Reviewed by Patrick O'Sullivan, editor of Irish Mountain Log

This guidebook is very user-friendly, breaking the walk into nine daily stages and advising on everything a potential walker would need to know: planning the route, when to go, what you might see (including habitats and wildlife), where to stay etc in a very comprehensive introductory section. ... The daily route description are excellent.
...
Overall, I enjoyed reading this guide and I am sure that it is comprehensive in terms of the information it provides. The maps are certainly excellent and you would not need any other maps to allow you to safely follow the route.

Irish Mountain Log, Summer 2015 page 52

From a news item in the Dunfermline Press

Culross Abbey, the Forth bridges, Aberdour Castle ... all the historic jewels of West Fife are in there in a captivating new guidebook on the Fife Coastal Path. Sandra Bardwell and Jacquetta Megarry have come out with the ‘Fife Coastal Path’, a rainproof guide which breaks down the 117-mile route into a nine-part itinerary.

Dunfermline Press, 25.6.15, page 8

Extract from an Undiscovered Scotland review

"Fife Coastal Path" by Sandra Bardwell and Jacquetta Megarry brings the tried, tested and deservedly successful Rucksack Readers approach to walking guides to this most distinct of long distance footpaths. For those new to the format (where have you been in recent years?) this means a combination of bright and attractive presentation, clear and detailed route instructions, excellent maps at a scale of 1:40,000, extensive background information, and fine photography. Print all this on waterproof paper (this is Scotland, remember, it does sometimes rain) and wrap it up in a spiral-bound package, and you have the ideal companion to any walk along the path, whether you are tackling the whole walk, or just a part of it. ... essential reading for anyone planning to walk the path.